Size of a 70mm film can ?

bwayne64

bwayne64

Master Member
Hi guys, I searched the Google, and the forum, and no joy. Does anybody know the size of a 70mm film can. It was used on the Theta Station in Buck Rogers according to the Hartland Site. I'm sure they came in different heights, but hopefully the diameter is pretty standard. I did find some 35mm cans on Ebay and a memorabilia site. They were 10.8 inches by 2 inches. These are reproductions so may not even be accurate. I'm pretty sure the 70mm diameter will be different. Anybody collect old Hollywood stuff ?
Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

Joe

http://www.universalhartland.com/code/buck107t.shtml
 
I'm not clear where the 70mm film can was used. Is it in the middle bottom? I see a round part there. The Hartland site mentions can, singular. Or was the can the source for the Draconia engine pod-things (the five round parts on the "legs")?
 
Joe,

While the height of the film can would have been different, I would think the diameter would have been the same as 35mm cans, as it was probably packaged in 1000 foot lengths, same as 35mm and the film itself would have been the same thickness, just wider. For that matter, if you added 35mm to the width of the can, you would probably have a pretty good approximation of that dimension too. Now all you have to do is lay your hands on a 35mm can!
 
I'll have to look at the photos again, but I know the outer pods were castings off of the Draconia lifting pods. I came across an original pod, broken off the Draconia a number of years ago. I'll see if I can find the photos of that.

gene
 
Yep the pods are the ones from the Draconia. They used several parts of the Drac for the Theta station. A very nice recycle :) I heard from someone who has seen the pod in person, that it was 10 inches in diameter. Just can't verify that. I figured you movie guys would know. Since you probably actually handled the cans. Wait that didn't sound right, LOL.

Satazius, yep its the round pods on the end of the legs. The legs were made from the cockpit neck on the Drac also.

GKvfx, I think you were the one i mentioned that saw the pods. Didn't connect it at first. You posted pics a while back at the RI. Hope you can find some bigger pics. I've searched for years and couldn't find any more. Here is the link to the ones you posted ,

http://www.resinilluminati.com/showthread.php?t=1067&page=3

Dave G I'll look for an original 35 mm can, Thanks


Joe
 
A friend of mine is an IMAX tech/AC he's going to send me numbers tomorrow. I had cans for years but no longer.
Back when I used to be a loader (back when they used film) you could go to the processing houses and get all the film cans you wanted.
 
Awesome ! Yea all the great stuff we could get and I didn't grab enough. I did get a butt load of Leggs Eggs back in the day. My sister wore the panty hose constantly. If anyone collected Aqua Net cans, I could have 100s of those. She would pollute the bathroom every morning with noxious clouds of the stuff, LOL. Thanks for the assist,

Joe
 
And if anyone might need lens flange focal lengths for pretty much any cinematography/photographic imaging system ever, I did preserve and store that Rosetta Stone in my archives... :)
 
FotoKem in Burbank still offers processing and printing of 65/70mm neg and prints. Give them a call and ask them. As swgeek just mentioned, in the old photo-chemical days these things used to be everywhere! I've kept a few 2" 35mm and 65mm cores, just for the nostalgia. Oh gawd I miss the smell of a freshly opened 1000 ft can of 5245...
 
Okay so it looks like the diameter of a 35mm 1000' load is
10-13/16" or 10.8125 ( same for 65mm). Hope that helps.

8886.jpg
 
Last edited:
DaveG said:
Joe,

While the height of the film can would have been different, I would think the diameter would have been the same as 35mm cans, as it was probably packaged in 1000 foot lengths, same as 35mm and the film itself would have been the same thickness, just wider. For that matter, if you added 35mm to the width of the can, you would probably have a pretty good approximation of that dimension too. Now all you have to do is lay your hands on a 35mm can!
Click to expand...
Yeah, but rather than just add 35mm to the thickness, you need to double it. The can is actually a bit thicker than 35mm, and a 70mm can would be the same. And you're right, 1000' ft rolls are standard, as are 400' rolls (but that doesn't sound like the right size for this project).

The only question would be whether they're actually 70mm cans (and thus made for theatrical prints), or 65mm cans, which are the film stock that's actually shot on. After completion, the movie gets printed onto 70mm. The extra 5mm is for the sound stripe. Of course, it's up to you whether to sweat a 1/4" difference. I wouldn't, but it's your project, and YMMV. :)
 
Here ya go! This is a 70mm can of Kodak stock from Boss Films from production of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. I have a similar 70mm can from GHOSTBUSTERS that matches the dimensions exactly, so I'm guessing it was a pretty basic size.

Apologies for the funky, bent tape measure! Roughly 10.5" wide, 3.125" tall.

gQcd4sP.jpg


tFHvRyE.jpg
 
Thanks guys ! You rock ! This is so helpful. Nothing like seeing pictures with a tape in them . Sorry for the late reply, my tablet died, so I had to eBay another one, ;) Thanks for all the info, Cheers,

Joe
 
vistaVision said:
FotoKem in Burbank still offers processing and printing of 65/70mm neg and prints. Give them a call and ask them. As swgeek just mentioned, in the old photo-chemical days these things used to be everywhere! I've kept a few 2" 35mm and 65mm cores, just for the nostalgia. Oh gawd I miss the smell of a freshly opened 1000 ft can of 5245...
Click to expand...

Yeah, FotoKem in Burbank used to stack these in an area after they took the film out of them. You used to be able to go by grab as many for free as you wanted. I'm not sure if they still do that since I don't shoot on film anymore, but you might want to call them to see if they still give them away. Also, maybe this was already mentioned; there isn't one diameter of 35mm can. It depended on how long the roll was.
 
Do you guys happen to know of anyone that handles 70mm telecine? I've been working with a DIY setup with decent results, but I'm just curious how much a legit 4K scan would run.
 
Yep that's always the problem with found objects. Many times there are different sizes and shapes. You have to get the exact one used :( I've been trying to avoid having to learn photogrammetry . Not because I don't want to, but just too busy right now. It may be the only way to nail the exact size of parts on this thing. Unfortunately there aren't a whole lot of good, high quality images, from enough angles. I was hoping there was only one or two diameters of these cans. Or at least have them close enough to each other to be negligible. If I'm within 1\8 to 1\4 of an inch, I consider that bang on. The only way to get closer would be to have access to the original and be allowed to measure them. Or know photogrammetry and have enough pictures to get a good result. I think with the info here I can get pretty close. Thanks guys for all the info,

Joe
 
You may want to do a little more research on the 70mm cans. I don't think there were quite as many sizes of 70 as 35. From what I understand, it was all pretty short run stuff with 70mm stock. The 70mm release printsI've seen were in huge latching cases, not the basic cans.
 
This is true, there is never an end to research on studio scale stuff, :) Even after you build things, new info will come out, and you start tearing off parts, like Ridley Scott and the refinery model, LOL . I figure 10 1/2 to 10 and 7/8 ths,
is close enough. I'll still be matching parts that I can ID. Wish I had higher res pics to work with but that's the way it is. We'll see how it comes out .
 
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